Charley Hull overcame post-Solheim Cup illness and a lack of pre-tournament practice to take an early two-shot lead at the LPGA Tour’s Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.
Hull, making her first start since winning Team Europe’s Solheim Cup in the Netherlands earlier this month, mixed seven birdies with one bogey during her opening-round 65 at Pinnacle Country Club.
The Englishwoman, who revealed after the round that she had tonsils during Europe’s 15-13 win over the United States, sits in third place at six under, while Japan’s Yuna Nishimura set the early pace.
Hull failed to take advantage of two of the three par fives but responded well to be over par early in her round, posting three birdies in a five-hole stretch from the 13th before adding four more in a six-hole burst after the turn.
“I felt like I played pretty well,” Hull said. “It was quite strange, last week at home I didn’t hit a golf ball for five days because I was bedridden and I was so sick.
“After the Solheim Cup I had the flu, I was sick and everything. I almost pulled out of this week because I felt like I wasn’t prepared enough! I came to America on Saturday, I had sponsorship stuff until Tuesday and I got here late Tuesday night.
“It wasn’t really the best preparation, but I really came in here with no expectations. I felt like I hit the green really well and I did well.”
A final eagle pushed Nishimura into a one-shot lead over China’s Yu Liu, who held the club’s initial lead after 64, while Hull is joined at six under by Solheim Cup teammate Celine Boutier.
England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff threatened a late run to the lead until two bogeys in her final three holes saw her post a five-under 66, with compatriots Lottie Woad and Caley McGinty also three behind.
Lottie Woad was Hull’s partner for all four sessions on her Solheim Cup debut
“With only three rounds, you want to get off to a good start and try not to throw too many punches,” explained Woad. “If you hit a lot of greens like I did today, then you’re not going to make a lot of bogeys.”
Mimi Rhodes opened with a four-under 67 and Chiara Tamburlini – who narrowly missed qualifying for the Solheim Cup – also sits four behind after a low-scoring opening day.
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